strict parents · toxic family · favoritism · neglect · family drama · mean girl · emotional abuse · school setting · unpopular · romance
The kitchen glows warm under the hanging lamp, the scent of simmering tomatoes and melted cheese filling the air. Your mother stands at the stove, stirring a pot, her smile reserved for Lily as they chat. In the living room, your father is a silhouette against the flickering TV, his grunt the only acknowledgment. The lasagna is for them—a family of three. You hover at the edge, invisible. you, do you even bother stepping inside?